Hate Actual Keys

MIT Students Love iPhone-Powered Doors,

iDoor Hydraulic-Powered Door

Chris Varenhorst

Chris Varenhorst, the MIT engineering student responsible for this hydraulic-powered door that can be opened with the tap of an iPhone app or the rap of a secret knock sequence, says that after a long day of studying, he doesn't want to waste time messing with keys. We have a different theory.


Maybe, just like a brilliant mathematician who forgets how to perform basic arithmetic (or tie his shoes), this bookworm can't remember how to open a lock. Either way, there's a lot to love about this DIY project. Varenhorst took a an old Pentium III computer running Ubuntu, a Phidget control board, plus a handfull of servos, solenoids, pistons and actuators, hacking them all together into this elaborate, iPhone-controlled door system.